Use the Body and Forget the Body: Treating Anorexia Nervosa with Adapted Physical Activity

Anorexia nervosa represents an over-concern with body shape and weight. This article describes seven female patients with severe anorexia nervosa who were given a time-limited program of Adapted Physical Activity (APA). The aim was to investigate how social interaction in activities could move negative attention from the objectified anorectic body to a more profound and subjective experience of one’s own body. APA may represent a therapeutic access to anorexia nervosa, as a supplement to psychotherapy.